WASHINGTON/TEHRAN - US President Donald Trump on Sunday again threatened to resume strikes against Iran "at some point," while the Iranian Army warned that any renewed conflict could be longer and more extensive than the previous one.
"The only reason we are not finished with Iran is because I want to be nice. I want to try and save all those lives if I can," Trump told supporters at a rally in Iowa ahead of the Nov 3 US midterm elections. "At some point, we're going to have to give them the hammer."
In response, Iranian Army spokesperson Mohammad Akraminia warned that any renewed US "aggression" against Iran would be met with "an immediate, decisive response on a larger scale than before," extending beyond West Asia.
"US facilities, equipment, personnel, and interests could be targeted wherever they are within reach," he was quoted as saying by Iran's semi-official Mehr news agency.
A potential new conflict could also "last considerably longer" than the previous one, he added.
Meanwhile, US news outlet Axios reported on Sunday that Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a phone call on Saturday, during which Netanyahu urged Trump to strike Iran "immediately after the midterm elections." Trump, however, reportedly preferred to allow negotiations to continue, an approach that has caused concern for Netanyahu.
The latest developments came amid mixed signals from Washington over its next move on Iran.
Tehran reportedly received a letter from US Vice President JD Vance on Thursday, sent at Trump's direction, calling for the resumption of peace negotiations. Iran described the shift in Washington's tone reflected in the letter as "a good sign."
However, The Wall Street Journal reported that senior US military officials on Thursday briefed Trump on possible options regarding Iran. The United States had also reportedly urged several Gulf countries to prepare for a possible brief but intense military campaign against Iran following the midterm elections.
In a statement released Saturday, Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei was said to have instructed senior military commanders to ensure that any threat from the "enemies," regardless of its nature or scale, would be met with an "immediate and effective" response, without geographical limitations.
On Feb 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and other Iranian cities. Iran responded with waves of missile and drone strikes targeting Israel and US bases and assets in the region, while tightening its control over the Strait of Hormuz.
